“It’s Tough” : Luis Enrique Amazed by Ligue 1

Luis Enrique provided an update ahead of the Coupe de France quarter-final against Nice.

Ligue 1 Toughness: “The Ligue 1 is tough. Liverpool isn’t playing in the Champions League. Luckily, Liverpool is not here. City is the reigning champion. I saw the match, which was of a very high level with two unique coaches. Before coming here, I thought Ligue 1 was easy but it’s quite the opposite. There’s a very high individual level and coaching proposals. It’s a league with a high level of competitiveness.”

Approach to the Game: “It’s a final. These are different competitions. It’s a very attractive competition, the same in all countries. These are century-old competitions that are very popular with supporters. We will treat it like a final because it is a final. No, there’s no spirit of revenge. It’s our only defeat in the league, and five weeks ago, they were our direct opponents in Ligue 1. It’s a very good team without the ball and exceptional with it. They have conceded the fewest goals along with Brest. It will be difficult, but we have the chance to play at home. It’s an attractive match, but we don’t feel a sense of revenge.”

Marquinhos’ Absence: “I don’t have any additional information. There is nothing very worrying or serious. He could have played against Real Sociedad, but as long as he is not at 100%, there will be no need to take risks.”

Mbappé and Dembélé in Rotation: “We study every little detail for the individual players. All matches are important, like tomorrow’s or in the Champions League. Ousmane has no problem; he is available for the coach. We need to control the playing time for explosive players like Dembélé or Mbappé. They have incredible speed which involves risks. It implies making them play more or fewer minutes.”

PSG’s Full Confidence in Mbappé: “Since I arrived, since my first meeting with Luis Campos and since I know the president (Nasser Al-Khelaïfi), I have always felt total confidence, support. The project is a bit new for the club, different from previous coaches, with many young players. The idea is to see that our supporters follow us and find that we play well. I’m having a good time personally, as a coach, and that’s how you should lead a football project.”